


The Odd Couple

by Webdog177



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Television, F/F, Romance, fast burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-02 19:04:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13324539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Webdog177/pseuds/Webdog177
Summary: When television and movie star Ruby Rose comes to town, Weiss, a stage-actress who's been Ruby's biggest fan for years, is more than happy to audition for a part in her new show. But Weiss never expected their encounter to turn into something so much more than being simple co-stars. [AU, Whiterose]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or it's characters. I just like to play around with them in different settings. This is for entertainment purposes only.

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**The Odd Couple**

**Part 1**

0 – 0 – 0

To this day, I can't step onto a stage without thinking of Ruby.

I can still close my eyes and envision the first time I ever saw her: as a barely-turned twelve year old girl doing commercials on television. The way her face would light up as she talked to others. Her dark hair, tied into cute little pigtails, bouncing merrily as she darted around the screen. How her eyes would seek me out from the other side of the television screen and smile. The way her lips would quirk into a cheeky grin when she talked to others. It was all wonderful. She was the cutest girl I had ever seen.

I immediately jumped online to find out all I could about this girl. It didn't take me long.

Her name was Ruby Rose. She was relatively new, as far as young stars went, but she was quickly gaining popularity with her expressiveness and natural acting ability. I must have spent hours just sitting there, looking at pictures of this girl – in different outfits from her shoots, her hair tied into pigtails or loose or curled, her eyes a bright shiny silver, and her sunny, cheerful smile.

It was after that I had decided what I wanted to do with my life – act. Just like Ruby. The very next day I went to school I sought out the acting club and joined up. I spent all my free time learning the craft, taking bit parts in school plays, and learning all I could about acting.

As I got older, so did Ruby. I kept up on her career as often as I could; on the internet, in magazines with interviews and photo shoots, going to her movie debuts and watching her on television. It was easy when she was almost everywhere.

When she was sixteen she gained the moniker of "The Girl With One-Thousand Faces" due to her ability to shift between an almost innumerable amount of facial expression on the fly. As a fellow actress, even a relatively inexperienced one, I held a great respect for that kind of talent. I won't lie, it was something of a hobby of time to catalog each and every one of her expressions. I was rarely bored as a teenager.

And as I got older and realized what I felt was more than just idol-worship, and dipped conspicuously into a major celebrity crush, things just sort of fell into place.

Yea, I was not ashamed to call Ruby Rose my little baby-dyke crush. I put her pictures on my bedroom wall, had all of her videos and television series on DVD, and damn-near stalked her Facebook and Twitter more than I felt was necessary. While my friends got damp panties over boy bands and other movie stars, it was all Ruby for this little lesbian.

My best friend, Nora, was the only one who really knew about my not-so-little crush.

Once she was eighteen and presumably out of high school she went international; traveling abroad to act in movies around the world – America, Europe and even Asia from time to time. In a way I was slightly disappointed. Now the whole world knew about Ruby and not just a select few. It felt as though she no longer belonged to just me. But as her popularity grew, so did her ability, and I just couldn't find it in me to stay disappointed. Now even more people could see what I saw: The most beautiful woman in the world.

At least, in my eyes she was.

As I graduated and went through university my crush lessened somewhat to make way for practicality. I dated other girls, went out with friends and more or less enjoyed myself as I finished college and joined a professional acting troupe. But the attraction I had for Ruby ever since I was a girl never fully went away.

I had long considered myself one out of the thousands – maybe even millions – of Ruby Rose admirers. The girl was even more popular as an adult as she had been as a teenager.

But I was just Weiss Schnee, a stage actress who had never been on television. Hell, I had only ever been on the stage. And while I understood that I was not a bad actress – there was plenty of room for improvement – I held no illusions that I would ever meet her in person. The best I could do, most likely, was get something signed.

And I would most likely frame whatever it was she signed. Hopefully my bra. Or my panties.

Hey, a girl could dream, right?

We were from two different worlds. I understood that. I was mature enough to accept the fact that, despite my more fervent wish since I was young, she and I would never meet.

Which was why, when I was told of a new television series starring Ruby Rose was holding open auditions nearby where I lived, I could scarcely believe it. I almost didn't bother auditioning for fear of the whole thing being some kind of practical joke. It was only due to Nora, and her insistence that I "get off my ass and go to the audition", that I actually did.

The crowd at the audition itself was staggering. There must have been at least three hundred people – all women. The role called for a female co-star, between twenty and twenty-five years of age, and I was right in the sweet spot at a solid twenty-three. The tension was high with every single one of those girls sitting beside me. Most likely they wanted this role to get their face on television. Some, from their shaking legs and hands, looked as though they were going to the most important interview of their lives. In a way, I supposed it could have been. Some were totally as ease with themselves; apparently, they were professionals and had already landed some gigs on television or movies.

Me? I was just excited to finally get a chance to meet my idol, Ruby Rose. That was reason enough to audition, even if I didn't get the part.

As I sat there, fingering the sheet of paper I was supposed to read from, I considered the piece. It was the female version of Neil Simon's 'The Odd Couple'. While I was familiar with the original version from 1961, the female version was made in 1985 for a female cast and I was somewhat unfamiliar with it. Regardless, it seemed as though they were making a new television series version with Ruby Rose as the star, and she was looking for a co-star to play her opposite. My Felix to her Oscar, one could say.

I did wonder why, with her international success, the woman would bother with such a thing as a sitcom version of a comedy play. I only dwelled on it for a moment, however, before my nerves won out and my script dropped from my shaking hands.

"Shit." I cursed softly, bending over to pick up the fallen sheet of paper.

"You doing okay over there, Weiss?" Nora asked from beside me. She beat me to the script and handed it to me, giving me a smile – though a little to smugly for my taste. I returned it shakily and clenched the already wrinkled sheet of paper between my fingers.

"Oh yea. Perfectly fine." I replied, though from the warble in my voice it was obvious I was putting up a brave front. Nora seemed to pick up on that and leaned towards me, a familiar shit-eating grin creeping across her lips.

"You should have brought an extra pair of panties for her to sign." She whispered none-too-softly. I sputtered as I hid my face from the girl sitting on the other side.

"Nora!" I hissed, embarrassed.

The girl forged on, heedless of my plight to keep quiet. "Though, I guess you could have her sign the pair you have. Might be a bit too forward though." She eyed the skirt I wore, her lips twitching. "Though, from how short your skirt is, I'd say you were kinda banking on it. Did I mention how awesome your ass looks in that?"

I tugged the ends of my skirt over my thighs, blushing hotly. I loved my best friend dearly, but sometimes she was too much. "I don't know what you are talking about." I muttered.

I was lying, of course. The size of my chest was dismal at best, so that meant I had to rely on my other attributes to attract people. And that meant my legs and ass. Thank God I had those going for me, at least. I had dressed myself with extra care that morning under the fantasy that if I attracted Ruby enough, she would take exceptional notice to me during the audition. I shaved my legs and underarms, and made a point to wear a skirt and top and showed off all my best features—such as they were. Makeup and my cutest earrings were next, followed by my hair - I had worn my hair in similar pigtails to Ruby's signature ones for years. Immature, I know. But hey, I was desperate.

Though, there was no was in hell I would let Nora know that.

"Sure you don't." Nora drawled, smirking. "There's no way you got all dressed up just for Ruby Rose."

"Right." I replied.

"Naturally." Nora smirked.

"Of course."

"Yup."

The two of us stayed silent for a few moments before we erupted into giggles. God, the two of us were horrible, weren't we? But it did help with my nerves as I skimmed my eyes over the script again. At least, until the girl next to me was called into the audition room. Then my stomach plummeted right down into my groin. I groaned and bent over, suddenly wishing I wasn't there.

I knew Nora wasn't going to make things better when she leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"Just don't lead by telling her that you masturbate to a wall scroll of her above your bed."

Yup. I was right. What a bitch.

I swatted Nora's arm, but laughed all the same. She was only trying to help, in her own way. And I loved her for that. I needed her support after all, as I wouldn't have gotten far in anything without her. My acting, university work, even my place in my troupe was suggested by her. Sure, I would have eventually done all that myself. But having my best friend there with me through it all made all the difference.

When my name was called, it was she who gave me a little push out of my chair and towards the door. I smiled at the woman who called my name and followed her through the doorway. As I made to cross the threshold, I turned back to wave at Nora, but my smile melted in place shocked bemusement as she made a crude gesture to me with her tongue between two of her fingers.

God, sometimes I both loved and hated that woman.

Shaking my head in amusement, I entered the room. The door was shut behind me and I quickly spotted a table with three people sitting at it.

Even from behind I could recognize Ruby. Her dark hair, the tips of which dyed a striking red in her current favorite style, was all the reason my stomach needed to tie itself into knots. She turned her head to look at me, and my mouth dried up instantly. Jesus, she was even more attractive in person! Her lips, pink and perfect, quirked into a pleased smile as I walked around to the front of the table. Her eyes, bright and twinkling, crinkled in amusement at my nervous smile. I could barely make out the flash of her teeth as she grinned at me.

I was honestly surprised when I made to the marked spot on the ground without my legs turning into jelly.

"Um…" I mumbled, clenching my fingers tightly at my sides. I cleared my throat and forced a practiced smile at the older man – probably the director –, the middle aged woman on Ruby's other side and, of course, Ruby. "I am number two-nine-oh, Weiss Schnee." I curtsied politely. When I came back up, Ruby's bright smile was my reward.

"Thank you for coming, Weiss." The director said, also smiling – though not as brightly as Ruby was. "I am the director of this television series, Stephen Fenton." I dipped my head again in recognition. "I believe you know Ruby Rose?" He gestured to the girl beside him, who raised her hand in a small wave.

"Hello." Ruby said, her voice clear and loud, with a playful lift to it. At once my stomach clenched again, and I swallowed deeply. Her voice was just as I remembered it from her movies, recordings and television appearances. With her sitting just a few feet from me, I could have died right then and there and been perfectly happy.

Okay… morbid. But you get the idea.

"H-hello." I managed to choke out, smiling nervously. Ruby's smile widened into a grin as I fidgeted in my shoes, but she didn't comment.

"And this is our writer for the series, Glynda Goodman." The directed gestured to the woman sitting on Ruby's other side. The older woman stood and nodded her greetings, to which I responded to politely. The director continued, "Now that introductions are out of the way, perhaps we can get to the reading?"

I blinked, confused. My eyes sought out Ruby's, and my face must have betrayed my confusion as Ruby brought her hand up to her mouth and giggled.

"The script is in your hands." She whispered loudly.

"Oh. Oh!" I said, feeling my cheeks burn in embarrassment as the others chuckled politely. Damnit, this was turning out to be a huge success. "Yes. Well," I cleared my throat. "Whenever you are ready."

I received nods and licked my lips, readying myself. I had practiced and practiced this piece for days in preparation for this moment, much more seriously than I normally would have. I had even practiced in front of my Ruby wall scroll just for this moment. And now it would pay off. Or not. Who knows? As I spoke my lines, the fire in my belly made my consider if I would sooner spontaneously combust than pull this off.

The lines themselves were easy enough, but comedy was one thing I was never very comfortable with. Maybe it was my intense expression Nora said I always wore. Maybe it was just my personality. Or my timing. Whatever it was, I could never really manage a joke. They always fell flat.

But if there was one thing I knew I could do well, it was follow a script. As long as I had a script to follow, then I was sure I could do well. It was something of a talent I had, maybe my only one. I had a very good memory, and I could pull off lines from the script only after taking one look at the thing. And I had  _studied_  this particular script. More much than was necessary. I could do this. I knew I could.

Nora would never let me live it down if I fucked this up, anyway.

As I finished the scene and took a steady breath, I looked hopefully at the trio sitting before me. The director looked completive, while the writer seemed pleased. But it was Ruby's face that I was focused on.

She was smiling at me, her eyes shining a bright silver, her lips stretched in amusement, likely at the lines I just read – they were meant to be humorous, after all – and her hands under her chin. Her smile turned to a grin, her teeth flashing at me, and she nodded.

I nearly collapsed in relief. Whether or not I got the part, I could be happy with the fact that I impressed her.

It was, hands down, the best day of my life.

The phone call I received the at the end of the day telling me that I landed the role was just icing on the cake.

0 – 0 – 0

**End of Part 1**

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	2. Chapter 2

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**The Odd Couple - WR Special Edition**

**Part 2**

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I was nervous as hell the first day of shooting.

Performing for a television show was very different than performing for a stage-play. With a TV sitcom you spent little time practicing, but have the fortune or being able to try again if you mess up. Sure, if you repeatedly messed up or flubbed a line you might annoy your co-stars and director, but the fact was that you could retry if you messed up. It was the magic of being on television, after all.

With stage plays, it was sort of the opposite. You practiced and practiced for a single show, and you couldn't mess up that because it was live. People were watching. Of course, if you did flub a line or miss your blocking, your fellow actors were there to pick up the slack. It was a partnership. I was proud to admit that I had never missed a line. Not once in my life.

But… never before had Ruby Rose been there to watch if I did miss a line. You could say that, to me, the stakes were a bit higher than your average high school play.

So, yes, I was very nervous.

I had read the script in full. Multiple times even. I had it committed to memory and I was sure I could hit my lines when I needed to. So, really, I had nothing to be scared of. Nora had even helped me by reading off Ruby's character's lines; she was playing the female version of Oscar, a girl named Olivia — the more 'undisciplined' girl of the couple – and I nailed the entire episode. I knew I could do it.

But when I stepped into the studio and shrugged off my jacket, only to find myself standing in front of Ruby herself, who was also apparently shedding off her own black jacket, I froze like a deer in headlights.

And her smile was the brightest high-beams I ever saw.

"Good morning, Weiss!" The woman chirped happily. "I'm so glad you decided to join the show."

I nodded dumbly, my mouth dry as a desert. My fingers worked at my t-shirt for lack of anything useful to do, and I forced myself to smile – though I believe it came of as more of a grimace.

Ruby continued, unperturbed. "I was really impressed with how you did the reading at your audition. A lot of other girls took it one way, and some completely off the wall." She chuckled. "Though, I can admire someone who takes the reading and does something totally original. But I enjoyed yours the best." She grinned happily and stuck her hand out towards me. "So, from now on, consider me your co-worker. And your friend." She winked. "But mainly your friend."

I choked, my hand shooting out to latch onto hers. As our hands touched, and I felt her long fingers wrap around mine, I blinked, something curling tightly in my stomach.

Holy. Shit. Ruby Rose was shaking my hand. My hand. I might never wash that hand again.

Only after realizing that I had been holding onto Ruby's hand for what must have been a solid twenty seconds did it occur to me that I needed to  _let the fuck go_! I did so, my hand snapping back into place at my side awkwardly. From her bemused expression, she must have caught onto my nervousness.

"You kinda look like you want to say something." Ruby said, tilting her head to the side. I swooned a little as her shoulder-length hair fell down the side of her face and dusted her collarbone. Why, oh WHY, did she have to wear a wide-necked shirt!?

"Um…" I stammered, using a herculean amount of effort to keep my eyes locked onto hers.

Again, her lips quirked up into a grin. "Don't be shy. Go ahead."

I cleared my throat to give my mind a kick-start. "I um… I wanted to thank you, Miss Rose—"

"Ruby." She cut my off, her face shifting into a flat expression as easily as water pouring over rocks.

"What?" I blinked, caught off guard by the change. It was one thing to read about her natural ability to change facial expressions and see it on the television, but quite another to see it up close in person. It was truly a masterful talent.

"Please call me Ruby." The woman emphasized. She suddenly smirked and leaned close to me, as if to impart a great secret unto me. "Miss Rose is my mother." She stuck her tongue out as her joke and giggled, promptly causing everything in my belly to turn to mush.

"I… um… yea. Of course. Sorry, Ruby." Her expression returned to a bright smile at her name. Taking a deep breath, I continued, "I, um… I have been a fan of yours ever since I was young. If fact, it was you that inspired me to become an actress. So… I guess I wanted to thank you for giving me that." I was not going to mention stalking her online profiles and hoarding her pictures and movies like some kind of creeper. Definitely not a great idea. But the sly smile that flitted across her face at my admission made me a bit nervous.

"Since you were young, huh?" She grinned lopsidedly. "Aren't you, what, twenty-three?"

"Y-yea," I admitted bashfully. She was only about one year younger than me, so I didn't see what the big deal was. "When I was thirteen and saw you in a milk commercial. I still remember watching you on that day and thinking to myself 'Wow… she's so cute.' And I was inspired to go online and…" I trailed off, the blood draining from my face. I most certainly  _hadn't_  meant to say that. And from Ruby's wide-eyed expression, it was obvious she hadn't expected me to either.

But, the consummate actress she was, Ruby's shocked look melted into a smile, her cheeks pinking only slightly, and she giggled. "Oh, wow… that one? That was, like, one of my first gigs way back when. Barely anyone remembers those anymore." Her words were nonchalant, but I had an ear for tones; I could tell she was embarrassed at my admission. "It was totally unprofessional. And the direction was really off-the-wall." She paused, her finger tapping at her lower lip. "Though, as I recall, they had really great cookies."

I could tell she was making light of it to make me feel better but my vocal blunder, and I could appreciate that. But as I had already pretty much told my idol that I had been a stalker for nearly ten years, I may as well finish what I was going to say.

"Regardless, I still wanted to thank you for giving me a goal in life. I wanted to be like you, and that led me to acting."

Ruby nodded, her eyes searching mine. She tilted her head to the side, as if weighing me in her mind. Finally her grin returned and she lifted her chin. "No problem. In that case, I am glad my cute little twelve year old self could…" She smirked lightly. " _Inspire_  you… to be an actress."

I blinked. Twice.

"Um…" I mumbled, my face heating with what I'm sure was a heavy blush.

Giggling, Ruby twirled on the spot and strutted –  _strutted_  – away. "See you on set!" She said, her tone a playful sing-song.

After she disappeared around the corner, I fell against the wall of the hallway and gulped, my hands moving up to cover my face in shame.

Holy… fuck. My first face-to-face meeting with Ruby – my idol and long-time crush – and I pretty much just outed myself as a full-on wierdo who perved on her when she was twelve.

This was going to be just  _fucking awesome_.

0 – 0 – 0

An hour or so later I was fed, briefed on the scene, dressed in costume – a pretty green blouse, a nice pair of beige slacks and heels– and had makeup applied.

Apparently, that was another thing in which television differed from stage. In theater, stage makeup was applied liberally to make it easier for the audience to see the details of your face. Eye and lip makeup, wrinkles and crow's feet… all were given a one-hundred and fifty percent upgrade when you were performing on stage.

But on television liberties could be taken. The camera was usually much closer to you, so such details in your face didn't have to be emphasized, unless the scene called for it. And edits could be make post-production. Personally, I was pleased I didn't have to cake on stage makeup. I never did like the stuff all that much.

I gave the script for the episode that day another once-over in preparation for the first take. I had it completely memorized, of course, but it wouldn't hurt to be prepared. Especially in front of Ruby. Everything had to be perfect. During the interview I had been nervous, and stuttering… not to mention the fact that the woman had to remind me where my script was. Not like I needed it to read from, anyway.

But I was determined to be on top of things this time.

I nodded to the crew, all of whom I had been introduced to when I arrived on set, and my fellow actors and actresses, who would have smaller parts than both Ruby and I at different parts of the episode, and then entered the set.

As sitcoms sets went, this was a fairly nice one. The original work written by Neil Simon in the sixties was designed to be a typical apartment; a large multipurpose living room, attached kitchen and dining room, with a few different luxuries like a television, stereo and such, along with doorways leading to the characters separate bedrooms, and the hallway outside. The female version in the eighties was very similar, updated for the times. For this television re-imagining, the main set would be the same apartment - modeled with a contemporary taste in mind, apparently - but also had different set locales designed for different scenes and episodes. I was reminded of the a few other sitcoms I had seen when I was younger when I first was shown the set, and it definitely had similarities.

All in all, it wasn't a bad way to spend as my first introduction to television.

I caught sight of Ruby waving to me from the dining room table on set and I approached her.

"Hey Weiss," She said, giving me a once over. "You look nice, the outfit suits you."

I blushed lightly, mumbling my thanks as I looked her over. Her character, as opposed to mine being very neat, clean-cut, and by-the-book, was very messy. She wore baggy jeans torn at the knees, scuffed sneakers, and a faded T-shirt that had some symbol of an old American rock band on it. Her hair was tied into a short yet sporty ponytail and wore only as much makeup as was required for the scene itself.

She looked simply delicious.

Looking away from the woman, I cleared my throat. "S-so, um… you have any advice for me?" I asked in an attempt to keep my mind focused. I was a competent actress. I knew I was. But Ruby was a legend. At least, to me she was. I would take any and all words she had to give me.

She was silent for a few moments, tapping her finger on her lip in thought. It was a gesture I had seen her use twice now and I was beginning to see a pattern. Then she grinned slyly and giggled. "Just relax and let inspiration guide you."

I groaned, letting me face fall into my hands. "You aren't going to let me live that down are you?"

The woman laughed aloud. "Nope." I scowled at her through my fingers, and she laughed again. Then she stood up and stretched, her arms rising above her head. The bottom of her shirt rode up a little, giving me a peek of milky white skin just above her jeans. I groaned again.

"Well, it's about time. Stephen is giving us the look." She nodded her head towards the director's chair, where the man himself was gesturing his hands around, clearly giving instructions to the cast and crew. I knew enough film lingo to understand that filming was about to begin, and dipped my head towards Ruby.

"Thanks for the advice." I said to her honestly. It was clear she meant to both as both a tease and true advice, and I was greatly thankful. She grinned at me and I smiled in return.

"Okay, ladies!" Stephen called from his chair. "You know where you need to be, yea?"

I did, having been briefed on the scene earlier while eating breakfast. I moved to my place in the kitchen, and Ruby moved back to hers at the table. The scene we were shooting was, surprisingly enough, not the very first scene of the pilot, but a middle scene where my character – Florence – was cooking breakfast for Ruby – Olivia - and she was still in the process of waking up with a particularly difficult hangover. It was a perfect example of our respective characters' personalities.

I did find it odd that we weren't shooting the very first scene of the pilot at the beginning… but then again, this was television and could shoot and edit whatever we wanted before airing the episode. I supposed I would have to get used to the random sense in that.

Regardless, I knew what I had to be doing, and I waited at my spot for the scene to start.

The dialogue in the scene was easy enough; in the script I would start off by making a few comments to Olivia about staying up late drinking, and that while it was fine now that she is young, it would get harder and harder for her as she got older. She would reply back to my with a scripted tired, resigned comment about me being a 'mother-hen' and say she won't go out drinking anymore… much. And the rest would continue on in that fashion until the end of the scene.

It was easy, understandable, well-scripted, and the jokes in the dialogue was humorous to the target audience. I could definitely see the appeal.

I caught the five-second light out of the corner of my eye, and took a deep breath to center myself. As the seconds dwindled, I flicked my eyes to my co-star and idol. She locked eyes with me, and grinned cheekily, winking quickly as the call was made.

"Act two, scene one. Take one! Action!"

I started shifting around in the kitchen, moving the frying pan I was standing at as if I was cooking bacon and eggs. It was a simple action, and I had long gotten used to the particular gestures needed for pantomiming. After a few moments, during which time I turned my attention to my hung-over friend, I sighed, setting down the frying pan.

"Honestly, Olivia," I said, coloring my tone with exasperation. "You brought this upon yourself; staying up all night drinking with you friends. That's all well and good now, when you're young. But this sort of behavior will only get hard and worse for you as you get older." I stepped around the kitchen counter and crossed my arms over my chest, staring at Ruby resolutely, and waited for her scripted response. She would raise her head up tiredly, and respond to me that I shouldn't need to be so overprotective, and that I was acting like a 'mother-hen', then I would scoff and reply that I most certainly did need to be overprotective, that—

Ruby's loud groan from the table interrupted the lines in my mind, and I blinked repeatedly.

That groan… wasn't in the script. I stared at the girl sprawled over the table, and I couldn't help my mouth popping open in shock as she raised her middle finger at me.

"Wha—" I stammered, confused. "I—You…" That… definitely wasn't in the script. I would have remembered that. According to the script, she was supposed to respond how I had practiced. Not just groan and flip me the bird.

I stood there in silence for a solid ten seconds, staring at the woman before me. Eventually she craned her head up to blink at me blearily, her disgusted grimace clear for all to see, and the sneered at me.

"The smell of that bacon is really fucking with my stomach, Flo. Can you please go eat in your room?"

I blinked again, trying to make sense of her words. They still weren't her lines. Hell, they weren't even part of the script – I'd know! She was… she was making up her own lines!

I shot a quick look towards the director, barely making him out past the lights on set, to see him calmly regarding the two of us. It was as if… he knew what she was doing. As if he knew she would be making her own lines and not following the script.

Not following the script…

Suddenly, it dawned on me.

A memory of a short, almost unnoticeable article I read a few years ago online in regards to a part she played on a lower-budget movie. Under most circumstances, most people wouldn't even know about it. But myself being a huge fan of Ruby's, it wasn't all that difficult to hunt down the article that mentioned her.

In the interview with the director, the topic came up of how it was working with such a prolific, young and talented actress like Ruby Rose. The director laughed and shook his head, responding,  _"It wasn't at all how I expected. I wasn't sure if she would be your typical child star, or someone hardworking and by-the-book… really follows the rules, you know?"_

He laughed again.

_"So, Miss Rose wasn't at all like that?"_  The interviewer asked.

_"Oh, she was certainly hard working, I won't begrudge her for that. She's talented and really knows her stuff. But I think it would be difficult for some people to work with her."_

_"What makes you say that?"_

The directed grinned, and rubbed the stubble on his chin.  _"Well, the thing about Ruby is that she is a prodigy. She is a genius at personal interaction and reading people as they talk, as they work, and how they carry themselves. A person is every-changing, and very fluid; never static and never immobile. She believes that, to truly capture the nature of a particular scene and make it organic, that one can never follow the written dialogue."_

_"So… what you mean to say is…"_

_"What I mean to say is Ruby Rose never follows the script."_  The director leaned forward and smiled.  _"Ever. Oh, she reads it, memorizes it, and knows it. But she never follows it. She knows how to get from the start to the finish; from Point 'A' to Point 'B'. But everything in the middle? The written dialogue? Doesn't do it. Says it 'never truly matches the interaction between the characters' and 'isn't real'. So she just uses her own words in a scene; improvises everything."_

_"How does that work with her fellow actors?"_

A smirk.  _"Well, they either have to get used to it and work with her in an organic way… or they simply can't make the cut. Her fellow actors just get taken along for the ride. That's the price of working with someone like Ruby Rose."_

At the time when I read that article I had barely paid it any mind, simply attributing it as another reason why Ruby was worthy of being idolized by me. I would never get to work with her anyway, so it was never something I put effort into remembering.

But now, standing here in front of the woman herself, I felt as though I had stepped into a playground for high school students when I was just a middle schooler. That I was now participating in something completely out of my league.

A script was something I always had followed. I was not good at improvisation, at least on stage. As long as I had a script to fall back on, then I was in my comfort zone and I could perform ably. If it was taken away…

Then I was left with no defense against someone like Ruby Rose.

Just me and her - nothing in between.

"Oh… fuck me." I murmured aloud. Well, the scene was already pretty much shot anyway.

Ruby raised her head up again, a cheeky smirk spreading across her lips. "Well, if you insist Flo. But only after I brush my teeth. I still taste vomit."

0 – 0 – 0

**End of Part 2**

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Poor Weiss. TFW you are crushing on a girl and you forgot how much of a boss she can be.
> 
> She'd better shape up! :D
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> ***Will work for glomps***


	3. Chapter 3

0 – 0 – 0

**The Odd Couple - WR Special Edition**

**Part 3**

0 – 0 – 0

"Well," Nora said after clearing her throat. "That wasn't nearly as bad as you made it out to be."

I groaned aloud, pointing the remote control to my television and switching the thing off. "Yes it was. It really was." I muttered morosely.

"No, it really wasn't." Nora insisted, leaning back on my couch and propping her legs up on my coffee table. I eyed the girl's bare legs and feet, right down to her bright pink toenails for a moment, then scoffed – she always  _did_ treat my apartment as her own most of the time. Well, to be fair, I did the same to hers. So, I guess we could call it even.

The woman continued, "I mean, from what you were telling me about the shooting process all week, I was sort of expecting something horrible. That wasn't bad at all. I thought it was pretty damn funny." She grinned. "Especially how adorably awkward you were. That was cute."

I grunted, "That wasn't part of the scene. That was just me being cute and adorably awkward."

Nora giggled. "Well, regardless, it worked."

I sighed heavily and stood up, making my way to my kitchen. It was actually kind of funny how alike my real apartment was to the set for the "Odd Couple" television series, which had just finished airing the pilot episode. It wasn't the exact same, of course, but my apartment also had a large living room with attached kitchen very much like on the show. After my first day of shooting, and after the horrible embarrassment I suffered being caught up in my co-star's trap with her penchant for not following the script, I went home and laughed hysterically at the similarities between the set and my own apartment.

I promptly ate dinner, took a hot shower and went to bed, hoping the next day of shooting would turn out better than the first.

Optimism had never really worked out in my favor.

The following day was just as difficult as the first. It had taken the entire first day to shoot the one scene with Ruby and myself in our apartment, with her being hungover and me trying to deal with her. After the disastrous first take with my unintentionally asking Olivia to 'fuck me' on camera –that take wouldn't be used, of course— I attempted to use the scripted lines again in hopes Ruby would follow my lead.

I was gravely mistaken.

The second take began and, instead of grunting at me and flipping me the bird, she giggled drunkenly and stumbled from the table, waving her arms around as if she was still drunk. I was so shocked at the shift in her behavior I had absolutely no comeback, and I stood there while Ruby sang a foreign drinking song. I couldn't quite follow the words being spoken, but I understood enough to get the gist. And the rhyming gave it away.

The following takes could only be summarized as Ruby approaching the scene differently each time, choosing a different persona and dialogue at her whim, and myself desperately trying to keep up while keeping the script in mind.

It didn't work. It was painfully obvious how easily she strung me along the scene. I was a mouse to her cat, and she knew it. She ran circles around me as an actress, grinning smugly the whole time. It was embarrassing and humbling to be in that position. Under most circumstances I would have been put out, even angry, at such a slight. But as I knew that just how Ruby was as an actress, and a damn good one at that, I couldn't find it in me to be mad. Instead I felt challenged; like I needed to step up and meet her as an equal. The problem was that I simply did not have the experience or ability she did.

The remaining scenes of the episode were all very similar to the first. Ruby would lead the other actors and actresses, myself included, on a wild chase, as if hoping at least one of us would be able to catch her. Not one person did. The difference between us and her was almost painfully apparent, and by the end of shooting the episode at the end of the week, I was in the foulest mood I had ever been in since graduating university.

I wasn't angry at Ruby, of course. That was simply how she was. I was upset at myself. I wasn't good enough, not nearly, to match my idol the way I wanted. She was on a pedestal high above me, and I could barely reach her toes from where I was. Her fucking perfect toes.

"Damn it." I hissed in pain. The steam of my water boiler scalded my hand and I immediately shoved the offending appendage in the sink, turning on the cold water.

"You alright over there?" Nora called from the couch.

"Yea. Just me being an idiot."

"What else is new?" She shot back, giggling.

"Go to hell, you cunt!" I snapped, but lacked any real aggression in my words. Nora roared with laughter, clutching her sides on the couch. I smiled at her and dried off my hand. That was simply how Nora and I interacted with each other, and it made me comfortable. With her, I could be myself, and the words – or insults as the case may be – just came to me naturally. With Ruby… nothing came to me naturally and I just froze up.

Why couldn't I be like I was Nora… with Ruby?

Only without calling her a bitch or a cunt or a slut.

"Your feisty today. Rawr!" Nora said after her laughed finally died down, her grin still wide. "To what do I owe the honor of your Highness being particularly catty?"

I sighed, "Yea… sorry. I'm just so irritated at myself about this whole thing." I waved my hand towards the television, meaning the show we just had watched. "I was so excited to meet Ruby, and she was great and everything, but…" I trailed off, my energy leaking out of me like a deflating balloon. "I just don't know. I'm not good enough to be her partner." I blinked. "On stage. Er— set, I mean."

Nora snorted. "Yea-huh. I knew what you meant." She kicked her legs out and stood up, walking around the couch to approach me in the kitchen. "So what's the problem, then? That you think you aren't as good of an actress as Ruby?"

I chewed on my lip, considering that. Truthfully I didn't believe that was the case. I mean sure, Ruby had more natural talent than you could shake a stick at, and enough professional experience to fill any respectable resume, but then again, I wasn't a slouch either. I had my own talents with acting, and so did she. We were just… different. And it was that difference that I couldn't really measure up to. It just wasn't ingrained into me to be so impulsive, to run without a track, and to not have the foundation laid out for me to follow. To basically not have a script to work from.

Ruby was the opposite. She thrived on having a beginning and an ending, and nothing in between. She could take an idea, a mood, and run with it and make a scene that was one of a kind, unique, no matter the material. Just the fact that tonight's pilot turned out as well as it had – which was good, to my chagrin – was tantamount to her natural ability and charisma as an actress. I envied that talent. It was something I wish I could do, to be able to work like that, taking something as vague as an idea and carry on from there, taking command of a scene like that and bringing everyone along for the ride.

But I didn't.

"I'm not." I finally said softly. "I'm not as good as her."

Nora studied me for a few moments, her eyes peering into mine. Then, suddenly, she shrugged. "So?"

I blinked. "Huh?"

"So? So what if you aren't as good of an actress as her? That doesn't mean anything." At my incredulous look, she sighed heavily. "Look, how did you first start to learn how to act?"

I thought for a moment, recalling my upperclassmen in middle school and high school. They were all terrific actors and actresses, and I wanted to emulate them in every way I could. "I copied my upperclassmen and learned from them."

"Right." Nora nodded. "So just do that. Watch Ruby, copy her and try and do what she does."

I scoffed. She made it sound so easy. "It's not that simple, Nora. I need a script to work from to—"

"You have a script." Nora cut me off. "Just as she does. Like you told me, you also have a point 'A' and a point 'B'. You just need to get from start to finish, working with Ruby along the way."

I bit my lip, unsure. "It impossible." That may as well have been true, as I hadn't really heard of anyone being able to match the Girl with One-Thousand Faces on her best days. Everyone simply was swept up in her presence. She was a force of nature on stage.

"You only say it's impossible because it's never been done."

I looked up to see my best friend's face, her trademark shit-eating grin on her lips, as if she already knew she was right.

"You know something Nora? I hate you sometimes." I said, shaking my head softly.

"Oh, shut up Bitch. You know you love me."

0 – 0 – 0

The start of the week meant the start of a new episode. I arrived bright and early at the studio, rested from a relaxing weekend spent with Nora. She had taken me out shopping for a new outfit to 'make myself feel better', and while I never cared for shopping therapy as much as she did, I did appreciate the friend therapy.

After putting my things away in my dressing room, as I always did, I dressed in my Florence outfit – this week was a peach-colored sweater and dark blue jeans with black flats. Casual. Stagehands assisted me with my makeup and earrings, even though I insisted I could manage myself.

As I left my dressing room, the door to the adjacent room opened, revealing my co-star, in all her bedraggled 'Olivia' glory. She wore khaki board shorts, and old pair of socks – no shoes –, and a loose tank top. Her black sports bra was clearly visible, and I inwardly squeed. Why did her character have to wear clothing that made me want to nom on her so much!?

"Hey Weiss!" The woman chirped as she shut her dressing room door.

"Good morning, Ruby." I smiled. I was happy to see her, even if the very sight of her sent little fluttering feelings in my stomach. What  _was_  it about her smile that made me feel as though I was a teenager again?

"Back to the old grind?" She snickered, her face scrunching cutely. I rolled my eyes, grunting. She laughed at that and gestured towards the set. "C'mon lets hit it."

I fell into step beside her, smiling at her openness. Regardless of her intimidating presence in front of the camera, she was truly a friendly person.

"Did you have a nice weekend, Ruby?" I asked, curious as to what she did in her free time.

"Hmm? Oh yea!" She said happily. "I went shopping with my sister. That's always fun."

I blinked, caught off guard by this new information. "You have a sister?"

Ruby faltered in her steps, grinning like she was suddenly caught doing something bad. "Well, yea. She's actually my half-sister. Different moms. Yang and I have been really tight for years, since before I even got famous. We try and hang out together whenever I am in town."

I hummed in understanding, filing that information away. I hadn't known that Ruby had anyone like that in her life, but in retrospect, it shouldn't have surprised me. Even someone as famous as Ruby was most certainly had to have some close friends and family, even with how often she traveled.

Inexplicably, I felt a small stirring of jealously at the thought of Ruby having such a person that she was that close to. I knew it was immature of me, and that exceptions could be made for family, but ever since Ruby herself told me I was her friend the very first day of shooting, I had taken her words to heart. And this woman, Yang? Just how close  _was_  she to Ruby?

Ruby was silent for a few moments, as if reading my suddenly dark mood. Then she coughed. "Yea, but, ever since she got married her long-term girlfriend, we just haven't had the time to hang out as often as we used to. When we were younger and I was in town, it was always "Yaaaaaaaang! Come on, let's go hang out!" She shrugged. "But after she got married, we just haven't had the time."

I arched an eyebrow at the woman next to me, curious as to why she felt the need to explain such a thing to me. Surely she didn't need to explain her relationship with her sister to me, who she had only known for little more than a week. Was I really that transparent? Was my mood so easy to gauge that she could pick up on it right away? Or was she just as good at reading people as everyone always said?

But, upon hearing that her sister was married, and her platonic relationship with Ruby just that, I felt a little better.

"And…" I coughed into my fist, looking away from Ruby to scan the set as we entered the shooting floor. "What about you? You… married? Dating any guys?"

Ruby's eyebrows lifted, a surprised expression flickering across her face. It disappeared almost at once, making way for a sly grin.

"Nah. The guys around here haven't really caught my eye. Or anywhere really." She shrugged nonchalantly, looking at me from out of the corner of her eye. "Never have, to be honest. Men are more trouble than they're worth. I'm more of a 'girl's girl'... you know what I mean?"

I did. I really did. But I could scarcely believe it. It all seemed to be too fantastical to actually be true. But I had to play it cool. And if there was one thing I knew how to do, it was play things cool.

If playing-it-cool Weiss worked with Ruby… well, that remained to be seen.

"Yea, I can understand that." I said, nodding my head slowly. "I don't know what my friend, Nora, sees in them. Never have. I guess that means more for her, huh?"

There was something that appeared in Ruby's expression then, something that I couldn't quite pick up on. Something I hadn't seen in her face before; not once in the years I had studied her, her face, her expressions and her pictures. This was… this was something new.

Something that caught my attention.

"Yea. I guess that's just another thing we have in common, then." She said, reaching out to my face. I blinked, shocked at the sudden move, but didn't budge. Her lips quirked up into a smile as she lightly touched my hair, brushing my bangs out of my eyes. I shivered as her index finger made the barest of contact with my forehead, and I fought to keep my knees from buckling. It was a damn close call.

Suddenly Ruby cleared her throat, jarring me from whatever lala-land I was in. "Well, I think Stephen is going to pop a blood vessel if we don't hurry up." she said, pulling her hand back. My face almost followed it before I reeled in my suddenly haywire emotions and stood erect, my breath coming out in heavy pants through my nose.

"Uh… y-yea…" I rasped out.

Ruby's grin returned with a vengeance and she turned towards the set. "Break a leg today, Weiss!" She lilted from over her shoulder, walking away from me with a slight sway in her step.

I swallowed, watching as she hopped up onto the platform, turned back towards me, stuck out her tongue and winked, causing my heart to drop straight down to my uterus.

Oh yea. My gaydar was pinging pretty loudly right then.

I was in trouble.

0 – 0 – 0

**End of Part 3**

0 – 0 – 0

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Flirty Ruby is flirty and thirsty Weiss is thirsty. XD
> 
> We are officially at the half-way point. Though, the final three chapters are longer than the first three. So there's that. See you in a few days!
> 
> ***Will work for glomps***


	4. Chapter 4

0 – 0 – 0

**The Odd Couple - WR Special Edition**

**Part 4**

0 – 0 – 0

Working alongside Ruby Rose was a lot like trying to walk uphill in a windstorm. In the rain.

You might have your own agendas and your own goals for the finished product of whatever you were trying to accomplish. And you might have your own strength and weaknesses when it comes to your craft. But when you step on stage with Ruby, you are just swept up in her strength and presence, and taken along for the ride.

She was just too powerful. Her expressions, her gestures, her charisma. You might have grown up thinking you were a good actor, or a good singer – because, perhaps unsurprisingly, the woman could sing on a professional level as well – but when you step up to bat against a force of nature like Ruby, you are blown right back down to earth by that windstorm.

A very attractive windstorm.

Each and every scene I shot with her, from the very first take on that first day of shooting, I was led on a merry chase to catch up to her. She would dance around me, both physically and mentally, smiling her Cheshire cat smile, as if knowing no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't quite reach her.

It was maddening.

And arousing.

She had to know what she was doing to me. From our first conversation in the hallway that morning when I told her I had been her fan since she was twelve, she teased me. She would send  _looks_  my way, grinning all-too-brightly for just being simple co-workers or friends. I mean, she was clearly a friendly person; she was nice to pretty much everyone from the cast right down to the crew. But I seemed to take the brunt of her friendliness. Not that I was complaining, mind you.

And after we had our little 'talk' that morning where she all but flat-out told me she preferred the fairer sex, as I did, it all seemed to increase tenfold.

She was still outwardly the same as before; still smiling at me when she saw me, chatting with me in the hallways and in-between takes, or during breakfast and lunch in the break room. She still gave me tips and advice for different scenes – though, of course, I still was light-years behind her in terms of skill or ability – and polite words after the scenes ended.

But, even with how she still treated me the same in public, I could tell there was something new there. Something powerful, intense, and electric. She would reach out to touch me during takes, either to grasp my arm to get my attention, flicking my bangs out of my eyes as she did that first time, or to drag her finger across the back of my hand during the slower moments in a scene. Or she would sit just a little bit closer to me than the other actors, sending me knowing smiles as she did so.

And that was just during takes. Off set she would lean into my space, much more than even Nora would, so close that I could almost smell her. She reached out to the same food I was trying to pick, so that her hand out touch mine and would apologize, but it was obvious she had meant to do it. She would wait for me outside our dressing rooms, already dressed in her costume for the days shoot, so that I would be forced to drool over the ratty overalls she wore, or the jean cut-offs that showed off her perfect ass and deliciously smooth legs, or that one episode her character actually landed a date and got dolled up by painting her nails a thigh-clenching black.

It went on like that for days, and she seemed to get worse after every single one of them.

It was driving me insane.

I knew I would eventually crack. I had never been one for patience, especially in this kind of situation. With my last ex, a tall red-head named Pyrrha, we flirted around each other for about four days before I finally caved and came clean with my attraction.

But Pyrrha wasn't Ruby. Ruby was a force to be reckoned with, and while I was almost sure I was reading the correct signals she was putting out, I had to tread lightly. I couldn't make a mistake with someone like Ruby. She would walk all over me if I let her, and that would not do. I was determined to meet her on equal ground, and to do that I had to step up and fucking catch her.

I had to reach her as an equal.

I had to act like her.

0 – 0 – 0

It was after shooting a particularly challenging scene that Ruby accosted me outside the studio. I say accosted – she pretty much jumped out at me as I stepped outside through the doorway, causing me to let out a small shriek in surprise, holding my bag above me like a bludgeon.

Ruby stepped back, her arms wrapped around her middle, and laughed. She laughed long and hard. By the time she finished laughing, I was scowling at the girl and two minutes had passed. Sometimes Ruby reminded me, perhaps a bit uncomfortably, of Nora.

"Having fun?" I asked as her giggled subsided.

"Absolutely," She replied, still sporting a wide grin. "That was the most I had ever elicited out of you before. Maybe I should scare you more often."

"Please don't. You just lucky I wasn't carrying any mace or something. You might have received a face full of it."

Ruby snorted, rolling her eyes. "Ouch. Yea, that would suck. That stuff kinda hurts from what I've heard."

"Mmm," I nodded, regarding the woman before me. She had shed her costume – this week the episode called for a pair of black jeans and equally black t-shirt, along with black eyeliner – in favor or her everyday clothes. Her usual dark jacket was unbuttoned at the top, giving me a slight glimpse of her pale red t-shirt underneath. And her black jeans, with matching dark ankle boots, painted at attractive picture.

I shifted uncomfortably in my sneakers, simple jeans and white winter jacket. I was getting better and better at dealing with Ruby on a regular basis, but sometimes she would catch me off guard and I would revert back to the stuttering, nervous mess I was on my first day. It just got worse when she turned on the charm.

Which I knew she was about to do at that moment.

"Sooo…" Ruby drawled out, smirking lightly. "You doing anything right now?"

Yup. Called it.

"Not… really," I said carefully, watching as Ruby's smirk widened into a knowing grin and shifted my feet again. "Why?"

"Well, if you're available, want to get a late lunch with me?" I blinked and she giggled. "Well, we got off early today and I was getting kind of hungry. I didn't really feel like having anything at the studio, and I remembered passing by a cool looking restaurant nearby on my way to and from my apartment. You in?"

I stood there for a long moment, staring at Ruby. I stared at her so long that her grin melted into an embarrassed smile. "Um… what?" She asked softly.

Her words flew around in my mind –  _If I'm available_ … _Late lunch with me…–_ It all made sense to my mind, but somewhere along the way from my brain to my mouth, my heart leapt into my throat and I couldn't form any words.

I just let out an unattractive, choked groan.

Oh, fucking shape up already, Weiss.

"I mean, if you're busy or don't want to, I'd understand." Ruby quickly said, seeing my reaction. "I just thought it'd be nice to actually get some time alone with you." She blinked. "To, you know, get to know you a little more." Her smile was blinding, and I almost passed out right there on the sidewalk. But I knew if I did, a chance like this wouldn't come along again. I knew I had to jump at it with both hands, and damn it all to hell if I messed this up.

"No!" I shouted, much louder than was necessary. Ruby stepped back, blinking in shock. "I mean. No. I mean, Yes. I'd like that. To have lunch with you." I cleared my throat, embarrassed. "W-when? Right now?"

"Sure!" Ruby chirped, her smile returning fully charged. "It's only a few minutes away if we walk. So let's go!" And, without skipping a beat, the woman stepped up to my side and wound her arm around mine, as if we were the close friends she always said we were.

She did one better by tugging me close, so that her lips her almost touched my ear. Her breath ghosted across my skin, causing a violent shiver to travel down the back of my neck, down my spine, all the way to my groin.

"I promise you that you will love it." Her whispered words puffed into my ear, and I died a little inside.

It was a good death.

0 – 0 – 0

It was a week later that all of our flirting – usually instigated by Ruby, our weird interactions with each other, and our game of chase finally produced results.

Truthfully I had gotten used to our little game of cat and mouse. Pretty much every scene we shot, whether it was with the two of us or with our fellow actors in the show, every single scene turned into a game where Ruby would deviate from the script as usual, and we would rush to catch up to her while still trying to stick to the script. It rarely worked, but somehow Ruby was able to cobble together our dialogue and turn it into a workable scene. It was a staggeringly useful ability that never failed to impress me.

It was the scenes with just Ruby and I, however, which really got to me. Not that I minded them, of course. But with her constant teasing and openly flirting with me, it was all I could do to keep a clear head and stick to the script as best I could in the face of her... well… the horrible distractions she would torture me with.

She knew what she was doing. And I could tell she loved every second of it.

It was only a matter of time before either one of us cracked and made a move.

The scene was a simple one. I was cooking dinner and Olivia was being lazy, as usual. The scene was supposed to start with myself finishing up the meal – I seemed to cook a lot on the show, as Florence was the better chef of the two – and then the script would have us talking about a mutual friend and her current romantic status with a guy that had asked her out. I knew Ruby wouldn't follow the script; I only knew she would start as I did, and we would reach the ending… somehow.

How she did it was up to her, as always. And I was just along for the ride. As always. I just had to put up with her looks, and her touches, and her fucking  _flirting_  the whole time.

This girl was going to kill me.

"So, what do you think of Velvet?" I recited my scripted lines as the scene began, taking care to stir my pot of linguine. I reached over with one hand and dumped a can of tomato sauce into the pot, continuing to stir. "Think she will last past the first date?"

Ruby was  _supposed_ to respond in the negative, saying that Velvet never really made it past the first date on her best days. And then I would chastise her and say that she should be more supportive to her friend.

That was how it was supposed to go, mind you.

"If she put out, then yeah, sure. She could definitely stay attached for a while." Came the response, barely smothered behind a chuckle. "I mean, have you seen Velvet? Girls got it, she just doesn't flaunt it nearly as often as she should. Guys would totally be into her more if she let them."

I sighed audibly. It was just as I expected. This was going to be another one of  _those_  takes.

"Oh really?" I said, thinking furiously as to how I could steer the dialogue back on track. The conversation would eventually shift to our other girlfriends' chances with the guys we knew, including Olivia and myself. Now that I thought about it, the conversation was hitting a little too close to home for my liking. But I would persevere and finish the scene, as always. "And what makes you say that?"

Ruby snorted, "Like I said, have you seen her? Hell,  _I_ would totally be into her if she even gave be half a glance." She peered over the couch at me, her bright silver eyes alight with obvious intent. "You know what I mean, Flo?"

I sent a flat stare from over the kitchen counter. So now she was sending me obvious messages, even in front of the camera? Well, fine. Two could play this game. I had put up with her chases and her dance for long enough, and it was time to show Ruby that I was more than a stuttering, nervous mess of estrogen.

Fuck the script. Let's see what we could do.

I rolled my shoulders and sighed, shrugging after a moment. "Perhaps. I never really thought about it. She never really gave me a reason to think she bats for the other team." I arched an eyebrow at Ruby, eyeing her significantly. "And neither have you, for that matter." There we go, the ball was in her court now.

And true to form, after a brief flicker of something new in her eyes, Ruby was right there with her rejoinder. "Oh, I go both ways." She said, snickering. With her black eyeliner – kept from the same costume as the last weeks' episode – she looked like a raccoon. And adorably sexy raccoon.

I scowled at the girl and turned back to the stove, giving the linguine a few more good jabs with the stirring spoon. "Oh really?" I said flatly. "Could have fooled me. Sometimes you come off as pretty strait. I gotta say I'm pretty surprised."

"Dunno why. I never really hid it." Ruby said, shrugging. "I dated guys, sure. But I prefer women." Her significant look was all the reason I needed to swoon. But I fought against the urge and returned to my planned routine.

I pulled a large plate from the cabinet above me and dumped a generous portion of the pasta – cold, of course, this was a television show – on the plate. After washing my hands, I picked up the plate laden with food and walked over to the table.

"I see. Come eat." I said simply. Ruby's eyes lit up with what I recognized as delight, and scrambled clumsily over the back of the couch, cursing as she stumbled on the hardwood floor. Shaking my head in exasperation, I returned to the kitchen to retrieve a pair of forks for the meal.

"Woo! Spaghetti!" Ruby crowed, snatching the folk form my hand and – taking a moment to drag her fingernail across my palm, causing a familiar shiver to creep up my arm – began to dig in with relish. I knew the cooked, but cold, pasta couldn't be very tasty, but it was the actor's job to make it seem as such. I tucked in as well.

"This isn't spaghetti, its linguine." I muttered, shaking my head tiredly.

"Meh." Ruby shrugged, shoveling the food into her mouth with relish. Damn her, she could even look porking out attractive. "What about you?" She said after a few moments, her mouth full of pasta. I grimaced at the sight, but at the same time silently wish I could be that pasta. As long as a part of me was in her mouth— Okay… disturbing thought. But I stand by my fantasies.

"What about me?" I asked, confused. The script was already long gone, we were supposed to have left the topic of guys long behind after starting our meal, and gone onto weekend plans, but now it seemed as though we were taking the scene in a completely new direction.

"You think Velvet is hot?"

My lip twitched, hearing the unspoken question behind her words.  _If I though Velvet was attractive, then maybe I would find other girls attractive as well, maybe even you, Olivia._

Desperate to keep some sort of control over the conversation, I flicked my fork against my plate and averted my eyes. "She's… not really my type." I finally decided on. There, I deflected the question, but still left the option open.

"Oh really?' Ruby grinned widely. "Anyone else? What about Penny?"

I blinked. "Penny's not gay."

Ruby barked out a laugh, "Oh, come on! Penny's so far in the closet, she's having adventures in Narnia."

"The  _fuck?"_  I couldn't help the laugh that spilled from my lips and I blushed heavily at my blunder, covering my mouth with my hand. I laughed, and Ruby laughed in turn, the two of us giggling madly like the friends were supposed to be on camera, regardless of our differences in personalities and characteristics. It was, perhaps, the first time the two of us were actually friendly with each other on the show. And we were not even following the script. It was just us, Ruby and Weiss, chatting. It was a great feeling, and I finally began to understand what Ruby might be aiming for when we wanted organic, flowing interaction between characters.

"What about me, then?" She suddenly said, and my laughter died out instantly.

"Uh… what?" I sputtered.

"Me," She said again, her eyes searching mine. "Am I your type?"

I was silent for a long time, my eyes locked onto hers. We were still in character. We were still Olivia and Florence, the Odd Couple. But Somehow I know, deep down in my heart, that the words Ruby spoke, and how I responded would mean so much more than something the script wold hold within.

"I… um…" I mumbled, my eyes flicking away from Ruby in search of something…  _anything_ … to draw my attention away. There was nothing except for the set, and the stage lights blinding me to anything past the edge of the stage. It was just myself and Ruby, and nothing else.

"I don't know if you've noticed…" Ruby continued in an uncharacteristically soft voice to her normal tone, setting her fork down and reaching across the table to take my hand. Her fingers felt warm, and my skin tingled with the contact. "But I have kind of had a thing for you since day one. I mean, I didn't really know you, but I just felt that we had a connection, you know?" Her lips quirked up into a smile. "Why do you think I have been kinda flirting with you, Flo?"

As dry as my mouth was, I was shocked I got the next words out. "There… was no 'kinda' about it, Olive."

The girl laughed, her cheeks flushing with sudden embarrassment at her nickname. She continued laughing for a moment, and then melted back to her serious, pensive face. It was a deliberate change, and I had expected it, but it still gave me a little emotional whiplash.

"Yea… sorry. When I get interested in something, I am pretty heavy handed about it." She grinned guiltily. "But I wanted to make things pretty obvious, while at the same time giving you an 'out' if you weren't into it."

I blinked, my heart hammering in my chest. "I am. I so am. Into this, I mean." Wait, what the fuck was I saying? Were we will still talking about Florence and Olivia? Or Ruby and Weiss? God I was so confused.

The sunshine laden grin Ruby flashed at me was all I really noticed before she cleared the table in two steps and pressed her mouth against mine.

Holy. Shit. This was really happening.

My stomach tied itself into the tightest knot I never felt, and my fingers gripped my fork, scratching the tabletop with an uncomfortable noise I barely even noticed. My toes curled in my shoes, and I felt a strangled moan leak from my throat as all I could concentrate on was how fucking soft and perfect Ruby's lips felt against mine and not even the taste of cold linguine could ruin this moment.

The only thing that  _could_  ruin it chose at that moment to speak up, clearing his throat that pulled us to a grinding, jarring halt.

"Uh… ladies? This is all well and good but… we kind of totally left behind the scene. Cut, please?" Stephen called out from his chair.

There was a smattering of chuckles that traveled around the set, likely from the crew, and after another unbearably short second, Ruby pulled away from me. She stepped to my side, obviously to exit the set, but paused by my ear, leaning down to whisper five words to me:

"My dressing room. Ten minutes."

I whimpered aloud, and shivered as her lips parted and I felt her teeth pinch the skin of my earlobe as she stepped away from me.

It would be a fucking  _great_  death.

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**End of Part 4**

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	5. Chapter 5

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**The Odd Couple**

**Part 5**

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I first had sex when I was seventeen years old.

It was a planned thing, between my first girlfriend and I. We would meet up at her house since her parents were gone for the evening, and spend our first time together in her bed.

It was awkward, and we were nervous, with shaking hands and fingers. Our touches were tentative, and unsure; testing. We knew the mechanics of lovemaking, of course. I mean, who didn't? We were teenagers and had access to the internet. It was almost embarrassingly easy for me to do the required research into how women had sex, so there was no issue on that front.

Aside from the unfamiliarity of it all, and how nervous she and I were during the whole thing – not to mention the somewhat awkward post-coital conversation that we were forced to endure afterward – it was exciting, it was fun, and… perhaps most importantly, it felt good.

Of course it did, right? And it only got better the more I did it, and the older I got. By the time I broke up with Pyrrha, my last girlfriend, I was no stranger to sex and was fairly confident I was pretty damn good in bed.

I guess what I'm getting at is I shouldn't have been nervous or unsure about the prospect of having sex with a new partner. I was not a child, or even a teenager with a couple nervous, fumbling experiences in the backseat of a car. I was experienced, and knew a thing or two about how to be a good partner.

But still, when Ruby whispered into my ear exactly what I have secretly wanted to hear since my first day, and walked off the set without so much as a backwards glance at me or anyone else, it was all I could do to keep from turning into a puddle of estrogen and desire right then and there.

Ten minutes. Fuck. Okay. I could work with that.

Barely hearing Stephen call for a break – it seemed as though with Ruby already gone he knew any further shooting was useless – I made my way on shaky legs offset and back towards my dressing room. The trip itself took much longer than it normally would have, probably due to a mix of my shaken emotions and the anticipation that swam through my veins making me more than a little loopy, but I eventually made it and practically broke down the door to my room, slamming it shut behind me and all but collapsing against the door, shaking like a leaf.

Never in all my wildest dreams could this be happening. Well, I take that back. In my wildest dreams, stuff like this  _did_  happen. In more than a few of Ruby-related fantasies, she would come to my shows on opening night, and meet me afterwards holding a bouquet of roses, congratulating me on a successful show, and we would make celebratory love all night long. It was glorious, and was one of my most treasured fantasies in my youth.

Now this was actually happening. Unless I missed my guess, and I rarely did, Ruby had invited me to her dressing room to… to… I couldn't even think it, for fear of this being another dream.

And now I only had seven and a half minutes left.

"Fuck!" I hissed, running my fingers through my hair desperately, ripping out the barrettes that held my hair up, sending them scattering across the floor. I eyed them disdainfully and shook out my arms.

"Okay. Calm down, Weiss." I commiserated to myself. I could do this. I could.

I was a whirlwind of activity. In the span on only a few minutes I changed my shirt and pants to something looser and more flattering to my figure – my ass and legs, namely –, brushed my teeth and got rid of the taste of cold spaghetti, and spend at least one minute staring at myself in the mirror on the far end of my room to convince myself that I could, in fact, do this.

I was ready.

At the ten minute mark, I exited my room and took one step towards Ruby's door. I took a look down one end of the hallway, and then the other end, seeing no one on either side. The hallway was still empty; probably for the best, as I would have likely lost my nerve if anyone was loitering around to watch me with curious eyes. I stepped away from my door and up to Ruby's across from mine, and raised my hand to knock, but suddenly froze.

What if she was just joking? Or I misread her intentions somehow? When we were talking to each other just ten minutes ago, we were both technically still in character; her Olivia, and me Florence. So, was this real, or just part of an act?

Ahh! Fuck it! Nora always said I overthought everything and ended up failing where it counted. It was time to step up, and actually take what I wanted. I had acted on my own when matching Ruby during the scene minutes earlier, and look what it got me. It was time to follow through.

Then, turning back towards Ruby's door, I raised my hand and took a deep, cleansing breath. I knocked on the door, and exhaled quietly.

Not even a second passed before the door opened, revealing the woman herself. Hey eyes found mine, lingered there for the barest of moments, and then she leaned out of the room enough to glance down the hall. She looked one direction and then the other as I had and then, once she determined the coast was clear, grabbed me by the forearm and pulled me in the room, slamming the door behind us.

The sound of her latching the door closed barely occurred to me, because all I really noticed was the moment we were alone she shoved me back up against the locked door, wound herself around me like a vine on a trellis, and kissed me.

My body reacted on its own, arms reaching out to grasp the sides of her head to pull her face even closer to mine. I stroked her cheeks, her jawline, and then wound my arms around her neck to hold her close. I captured her upper lip between my own, massaging it before doing the same to her lower lip. I groaned as I felt her tongue slip out from her mouth, reaching out to meet mine. I was more than willing to oblige, twirling my tongue around hers one direction, and then the other. Then I did it again, and again. Over and over. I never wanted to stop, Ruby's mouth and tongue was a dangerous drug, making me addicted to her and the only way I could possibly function from now on was to taste her every moment of every day, forever.

I barely had the ability to squeak in surprise and disappointment when she pulled away, panting heavily.

"Wow… just, wow." She breathed, her eyelids hooded with some deep, intense emotion I was distinctly unfamiliar with seeing on her.

"Y-yea." I mumbled, mind reeling. Shit, that actually happened. That was… just awesome.

"No one has ever kissed me like that." She said, her head leaning forward to rest her forehead on mine.

Somehow, even though my brain was still rebooting from how amazing Ruby was, I managed to stutter out a response. "S-seriously? No one?"

"Seriously." Ruby said, her eyes like steel and focused completely on mine. "Kiss me again, Weiss."

I didn't need any further prompting. Barely a moment later I met Ruby's lips in a crushing kiss, and the unbearable sexual tension that had been driving me crazy for weeks burst like a soap bubble.

Overcome by the sheer emotion and raw feelings, Ruby and I clung to each other, shamelessly molding our bodies together, our tongues meeting in a desperate battle for superiority where no one cared to be the victor, our breasts rubbing against each other between thin layers of clothing, our hips grinding almost painfully together in a primal dance of sensuality. My mind was barely able to keep from crumbing under the weight of so much sensory overload; the fresh taste of mint from Ruby's mouth – she apparently brushed her teeth as I had – the faint scent of her skin and shampoo in her hair, the feel of her back and ass in my hands. Every other kiss I ever shared with a lover or girlfriend paled in comparison to what Ruby was doing to me.

It was glorious, and I wanted more.

It was a desperate, needy whine that escaped my lips when Ruby pulled away again, licking her lips and watching me with a hungry gaze. She withdrew her arms from around me and stepped back, running her hand through her hair, taking a deep breath and releasing it. I took this time to lean back on the door, my hand on my chest in a useless attempt to control my heartbeat.

"Ruby—" I finally said after a few moments.

"I want you." The woman said suddenly, cutting me off quite successfully. I blinked, my mouth popping open in shock. She wasn't one to really mince words, was she? From our interactions the previous weeks, I really shouldn't have been surprised. "I want you so bad, Weiss. You have no idea." She continued, her gaze never wavering. "Do you want me?"

Was that a trick question? Shit, woman, I only wanted this since I was sixteen. I nodded, my eyes so wide I thought they would pop out of my sockets.

"I do. I really do. I always have."

Ruby's smile, the one I had gotten so used to seeing over the past few weeks, returned just long enough to send tremors through my belly, and then melted away to be replaced with something dark, something hungry, and something sensual. It was a look have had only ever dreamed about seeing on her face, and it was now here, just for me.

Thank you Nora, you fucking lovely woman, for making me audition for this part.

Ruby stepped close to me, but held out her hand on mine against my chest, pinning me against door, and kissed me once. It was a short, sweet kiss, and seemed to end just as quickly as it started when she stepped away again, this time turning and walking towards the other end of the dressing room. Once she reached the end where the makeup area was, she turned back towards me, leaning back on the counter-top, and beckoned to me.

"Come here, Weiss."

I didn't need to be asked twice. I crossed the distance between us faster than I had ever ran in my life, reaching Ruby in moments and crushing my lips to hers, and I reveled in the groan I felt vibrate into my mouth from hers. Her tongue made another appearance and I met it with mine, intent on returning to our previous duel.

My hands moved all over her, desperate to feel everything and commit it to memory; from her face, her cheeks and lips, her neck and shoulders, her breasts and her waist, her hips and her thighs. Her hands also roamed over my own body; groping and squeezing, winding her fingers in my hair and around my ears, sliding across my back and down to my ass, squeezing it roughly. I groaned and almost yelped in surprise when she took my bottom lip in her teeth and pinched it gently.

I had always loved to have my lips bitten while making out – I don't know why. When I bit my own lips it was either in pain, or in a fit of nervousness. But when others did it to me, for some reason it really flipped my switch. Just once was all it really took to elicit a hungry groan from my throat, and in a rare display of energy I wrapped hands underneath Ruby's thighs and lifted, pushing her fully on the counter-top. To her credit, she only squeaked in shock once before once again taking command of the situation. She released her hand from my back and swept it out behind her, scattering the clothing and makeup supplies across the floor to clear the counter-top of debris.

Now sitting fully on the counter, Ruby wasted no time in reaching down and pulling her shirt above her head, tossing it to the side. I blinked, my eyes flicking down to the pale skin of her chest, and her breasts covered in a pale green bra. I had seen Ruby without a shirt on, of course; there had been scenes that required her to wear a bikini, or her underwear. I had favorited those particular photos in my computer, and sometimes looked at those when I was alone, at night in my room. But this time, the sight of Ruby's near-naked chest was only for me, and me alone.

And she made it even better by shucking her bra in a matter of seconds, leaving her breasts bare for my hungry gaze. They were everything I had ever dreamed; milky white, round, and firm, but also soft as she reached out to my hand, tugging it towards her and pressing it to her bare breast.

"Touch me, Weiss." She whined, arching her back to present herself to me.

With a growl I reclaimed her lips with mine, attacking them with a ferocity I rarely felt even in my most aroused state. Ruby kissed me back just as aggressively, gasping and sighing as I squeezed and kneaded her breasts, and as I flicked and pinched her rapidly hardening nipples.

As our tongues wrestled and I worked on her chest, I felt her hands slide under the bottom of my blouse, the fingertips fluttering over the sensitive skin of my stomach. My abs spasmed with delight, and I gasped softly when her nails joined the assault, trailing random patterns and poking into the small dip of my bellybutton.

"Ruby…" I groaned, and sucked in a sharp breath when she bit down on my lower lip. Ruby lurched under me when my hands squeezed her breasts tightly in reaction, but from her pleased moan it didn't look like she minded all that much.

"Weiss – the sounds you make… so fucking hot." She murmured into my mouth, causing me to exhale sharply, happily.

With her words, and her hands on me, it was all I could do to not lose my mind as my trembling fingers traveled down to her waist to rest on the top of her jeans. Ruby's breath caught in her throat, and I pulled back just far enough to catch the hungry, desperate look in her eyes. It was clear what she wanted, and the not-so-subtle thrust of her hips against my hands was just unneeded – but not unwanted – reason to continue.

Her jeans were easy enough to unbutton and tug down her legs, and with some slight kicking, we removed them and threw them towards the corner of the room. Her panties were next, which Ruby took her damn sweet time in slipping off, rolling them down her legs – and  _fuck_  if it didn't take ages – and then kicked her panties away, toeing them a few feet from us.

Long had I dreamed about seeing Ruby naked, and often wondered about how she would look. She always looked perfect in my mind, naturally. But from the top of her head, with her tousled dark hair, her face a bright pink from her blush that made its home in her face and neck, the skin of her breasts and her hardened, pink nipples, her long, smooth, shaved legs and her perfect  _fucking_  toes! Fucking hell I wanted to eat those toes.

She was better in reality that in every single one of my dreams.

Ruby's squirming drew my attention back to her face, and her pinched lips did nothing to hide her impatience. " _Please, Weiss_." She whimpered, reaching out to stroke my face with a trembling hand. "I need it. Now."

Well, it wasn't good for me to keep a lady waiting, was it?

Not wasting the energy to speak, I dropped down to my knees so that my face was perfectly at waist height. As luck would have it, the makeup counter that Ruby perched herself on made it so that her thighs were also that the same height. It was as if providence itself agreed with our plans, and made its agreement clear. Keeping my eyes on Ruby's, I reached out to her knees with both hands and gently pulled her legs apart. The woman didn't fight me, simply letting me maneuver her legs to let me reach my goal easier. Something on my face must have changed as her legs moved apart, as Ruby's smirk, the one that had followed me around since day one, which she had used at the most  _inopportune_ times, reappeared. I raised an eyebrow at the look, and her smirk grew mischievous.

"Oh, hell yes..." The woman then drawled, leaning back on the counter so that her back touched the mirror and her hips were pushed out towards me.

I matched her smirk, and dove right in. I wrapped my hands around her thighs, dipping my tongue right into her center. Her hiss and groan barely registered to me as my lips stretched around her, sucking and licking every inch of her wetness. She tasted better than I ever imagined - even better than I thought she would just moments ago - and I reveled in her taste, and how warm and wet she was.

"Yes…" Ruby hissed from above me. "Oh, god, yes. Yes, yes…" She repeated the word, with growing intensity as I built up a rhythm against her.

She was so responsive, even more than any of my previous girlfriends. Her hips ground against my face and her hand reached out to wring her fingers through my hair, tugging it gently, coaxing me on further. She squealed and bucked her hips when I hit a particularly sensitive point with my tongue, and I pressed my advantage, flicking the muscle against her. Her folds seemed to melt away as I licked her, every touch, every nibble and every suck seemed to coax another pleased hum or groan from her, and I eagerly carried on.

"Ah—" Ruby grunted, bucking her hips against me" "Nnng – shit!" When I ignored her exclamation, and simply pressed my nails into her thighs and dipped my tongue inside her as far as it would go, she squealed loudly.

"F-fuck! Weiss! Oh, shit! I'm—" She cut herself off with a short wail, gripping my hair tightly in her fingers and raising her other hand to her mouth, biting her knuckle in a desperate attempt to keep quiet. It only worked marginally.

In a rare moment of playfulness – any other time I wouldn't have dreamed of this – I pulled away from my target, smiling sweetly up at Ruby. I almost laughed at the desperate moan and look of horror that crossed her features as my lips abandoned her lower lips.

"What is it, Ruby?" I asked, obvious sarcasm coloring my tone.

The heated glare that Ruby fixed on me would have quailed any other person in existence. She bared her teeth at me, her fingers clenching my hair so tightly I was certain she pulled some strands out.

"Don't. Fucking. Stop." She hissed venomously, and then she pulled my hair so harshly I couldn't help but cry out as I returned to finish the job I started.

And finish it I did.

I swirled my tongue around her, inside her, and puckered my lips on her most sensitive spot I recently located, all the while relishing in Ruby's groans, her cries and her sobs on pleasure. When she finally jerked under me and squealed my name, her legs rose to wrap around the back of my head, crushing me to her center as she bucked her hips violently against me. I rode her spasms with her, licking and sucking and enjoying the sweet moisture that spilled from her center.

"Fuck… Weiss…" She finally cooed softly, longingly as her legs went limp, falling back down to my sides. Her fingers released my hair. "That… was amazing."

I chuckled, stretching my neck to the sides to get rid of any kinks. As much as I liked doing this for a lover, it did take its toll from time to time. "You liked it?"

Ruby sent a weak, deadpan stare at me as I stood up. "Are you kidding me? That was the best orgasm I ever had. Ever. You're a fucking legend."

I snorted, pleased to hear Ruby say so. I was about to respond when the sudden shift in her expression made my breath catch in my throat. Gone was the tired, relaxed and satisfied girl form a moment ago. In her place was someone determined, someone with a goal in mind. I swallowed, the fire that had been steadily growing in my belly since I first saw Ruby lock her eyes with mine that first day scorching me from inside out, and licked my lips. Ruby'tilted her head to the side and leaned forward, fisting her hand in my top and tugging so that I met her halfway in a searing kiss. Her tongue flicked out and licked mine with abandon, moaning softly as she licked up what wetness remained from my work only moments before.

"That was so amazing…" Ruby murmured into my mouth. "That I think you deserve a reward."

I groaned into a particularly fierce kiss and sucked on Ruby's tongue, loving the wet  _'pop'_ sound it made as the woman pulled it back.

"Would you like a reward?" She asked, perhaps needlessly.

"Yes." I whispered.

"Would you like to know what kind of reward I shall give you?'

"Yes." I repeated, my voice growing husky.

"Would you like me to make you come?" Ruby said, placing another, softer, kiss on my lips.

"Yes!" I breathed, practically sobbed, and I wrapped my arms around her shoulders to keep myself standing. "Please. Make me come." I don't care if I sounded needy or whiny; I had wanted this since I was a teenager and I fucking needed her to make me come.

The next few moments flew by. I desperately shed my top and my trousers with Ruby's assistance, and all but tore off my bra – the catches bending out of shape as I ripped it off, and my panties were made short work of as I shucked them. Ruby ducked down and pulled them off my trembling feet, taking a short moment to hold them to her nose and inhale deeply.

I almost came right then.

Chuckling to herself and murmuring about how good I smelled, she tossed my panties over her shoulder on the makeup counter. "How would you like me to make you come? Tell me, Weiss."

Instead of speaking I swallowed, placing my arms on Ruby's shoulders to maneuver her where I wanted her. I stepped forward, where she had been standing in front of the counter and pushed Ruby to where I had been, effectively switching places with her. Then I turned so I was facing the mirror, my back towards Ruby. Then, finally, I craned my head around to look at Ruby and gazed at her, my eyes hooded and my hands grasping the counter-top. To make my intentions clear, I arched my back and thrust my rear out towards her.

"Like this. I want to come like this."

Ruby's smile turned almost feral, and in a flash she had me wrapped up in her arms. She grinned against my ear and positioned my hands so they could support my weight on the counter. Finally, she threaded her fingers in my hair, a feeling I was quickly becoming accustomed to, and took hold of it gently. Finally, she sidled up behind me so that her breasts could be felt against me, and I groaned at the feeling of her nipples scraping against my upper back.

"You want to come like this, Weiss? Ruby whispered against my ear. I whimpered softly, and looked into the mirror into my own eyes, and almost cried with what I saw. Ruby was there, her face right next to mine, her hand stroking down my spine, tickling my ribs and trailing her nail down my waist, flicking my hipbone. Her eyes were dark, full of mischief, and her lips were curled into a pleased grin.

Catching my eyes in the mirror, she smirked. "You want to watch me take you from behind, don't you?" When I shuddered and nodded, her teeth flashed in a grin. "You're such a bad girl, Weiss."

"Oh, fuck yes." I nearly sobbed with want. Need.  _Desire._  "I'm a bad girl. Punish me, please. Punish your bad girl."

In a flash Ruby's grin disappeared and the nibbled on my ear, eliciting a soft cry from my lips as her hand disappeared behind my back.

"Are you ready?" She whispered, licking me behind my ear.

"Yes!" I cried, my hands clenching on the counter. "I'm so fucking ready. Please, I can't wait any longer!"

By way of answer, Ruby moved her hand down to my ass, gently stroking it as I groaned in anticipation. I pushed my rear out in a desperate attempt to move things along, but it only seemed to cause the woman to take her time even more.

After what seemed like an eternity, Ruby fingers slipped into my folds from behind, and headed straight for the already hardened and soaking little bundle of nerves at the top. The moment she flicked the tips of her fingers across it I stiffened, a powerful thrum of pleasure shooting through my body directly from my center. My insides clenched so forcefully it was almost painful, and I sagged against the counter-top with my knees perilously close to giving out under me.

"Ahh-!" I cried out, not very loudly or intensely, but just enough to count as a sound of shock or surprise. The climax had caught me totally of guard, like I was turning a corner and suddenly hit by a speeding car.

"Wow, you came already?" Ruby said, sounding bemused, if not more than a little smug. "I guess that just about wraps things up then, doesn't it?"

"Don't you dare fucking stop!" I snarled, not missing the fact that Ruby basically imitated my own tone moments before when I teased her, as I had just used her own.

I wasn't even close to being done. That first orgasm was amazing, yes, but I was already pretty much primed to go off at the barest touch, and it wouldn't provide any kind of lasting satisfaction. It was just the second act of our performance, and I needed Ruby to get me through the third and final act. I needed her to give me that kind of satisfaction I had given her.

Still smirking softly,Ruby chuckled. "I was only kidding, Weiss. You know I wouldn't leave you high and dry like that." She tugged my hair with her hand and pulled me up so I could support my weight again. "Just relax and let me take care of you, okay?"

I nodded at the woman behind me and licked my lips, bracing myself. "Okay. Go ahead." I said, taking a slow, steady breath.

I would have said more as she slid her hand back down to my ass, and then her fingers back in my folds, but my words escaped me as she slipped a single finger, and then a second, deep inside me, and slowly rotated them, causing an explosion of pleasure to take over my brain.

Ruby seemed in no hurry to make me come, as I had to her. She moved in and out of me at an agonizing, deliciously slow pace, stretching me with every thrust of her fingers, and every now and again brushing the pads of her fingers over the little nub at the top of my crevice, causing me to jerk and my hips buck in response. Then she would drive her fingers deep into me, twisting and flexing them in ways I only ever dreamed about her doing to me in an effort to explore as much as she could, only then to pull back out and continue thrusting.

It was torture. Sweet, fucking amazing, torture. And I loved every second of it.

As Ruby kept up her exquisite assault on me, I could feel a second, much more powerful orgasm building deep in my core. It grew and grew, like a bubble expanding from deep inside me and I groaned, slapping my hands on the counter to warn Ruby of its approach.

She seemed to understand my senseless warning of my climax's imminent approach, because just then Ruby changed her strategy, and began to steadily pump her fingers in and out of me, pressing the tips of them up at that special spot on the inside at just the right angle. I cried out, my breath all but sucked out of me as she worked, and I thrust my rear out against her hand, my insides clenching so tightly I was afraid I would suck in Ruby's digits and claim them as my own. The pitch and frequency of my moans and cried only grew as I felt the orgasm close in.

"Don't stop! Ruby – I'm so close!" I keened, the strength in my arms finally starting to give way as they trembled to keep my torso up.

Ruby responded to my tortured, labored whine by dramatically increasing the tempo of her thrusts. With her other hand, and tugged on my hair and pulled my head back, roughly biting down on my collarbone. It was the last push I needed before I felt my insides break; I cried out so harshly my voice failed me - just a soft, breathy whine creeping from my throat as I jerked, spasmed and writhed on the counter.

The next thing I knew I was kneeling on the ground, gasping for breath as Ruby cradled my trembling form, cooing soft sounds and murmuring words about how amazing I was into my ear and I cried softly against her chest. She ran her hands up and down my back, trailing her nails along my skin until my shaking ceased and my sobs abated.

"That must have been something, huh?" She finally muttered against my hair as I sniffled softly.

"In a matter of speaking," I whispered. I blinked, shocked at how hoarse my voice sounded. "Were we very loud?"

I felt Ruby shrug. "Dunno. I think so?" She then chuckled. "These rooms are pretty soundproof, so I wouldn't worry anyway."

"That's good." I said, not truly caring. I took a few more deep breaths and then tilted my head, pressing my lips against Ruby's shoulder. "Thank you."

"For what? That bone-shattering orgasm?" She snorted airily. "Shit, I think I got off on that, too. It was that awesome."

I giggled, snuggling against the woman's bare chest. "It was, by far, the best I ever had."

"Damn straight it was." Ruby said smugly.

The two of us were quiet for a few more moments, until Ruby stirred, gently nudging me so I sat up on my own, and she leaned back against the nearby wall, stretching out her arm. I watched her for a while until she turned her attention back towards me. She smiled, and then opened her mouth to say something when I beat her to it.

"What are we?" I asked, finally giving voice to the question that had been plaguing me ever since that day we both pretty much came in the open about being gay.

Ruby blinked, surprised. She tilted her head to the side, and then cleared her throat. "Friends? Girlfriends?" She said, clearly giving me either choice to work with. "I'm fine with either. But I will say," She added, her cheeky smile returning. "I will be extremely disappointed if we forgo the sex in the future."

I smiled, my heart pounding in my chest as I looked her straight in the eye.

"Girlfriends. And I definitely agree with you."

"Well then, we still have about thirty minutes to spare."

My smirk, for once, actually matched hers. "Why didn't you say so two minutes ago?"

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**End of Part 5**

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	6. Chapter 6

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**The Odd Couple**

**Part 6 / Epilogue**

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Though I wouldn't tell her until much later, I first saw Weiss Schnee when I was fifteen years old.

I had gotten started in film when I was twelve years old. Scouted by a friend of my sister's, they told me that they needed someone to fill in for their usual star who had called in sick, and I fit the basic look and age they wanted. It was, in retrospect, a simple job; a small commercial promoting a relatively famous milk product, there wasn't much opportunity to mess up. It was also the one and only time I would ever be on television… so I admit I may have hammed it up a little.

I grinned like a loon, chattering away like the pre-teen I was, and practically vibrated with energy during the whole shoot. It was a wonder I even was able to remember the lines, short though they were. Yang, who was watching the whole thing from offset, just held her face in her hands, shaking her head in exasperation the whole time. When it was all over I was thanked for my time and assistance by the cast and crew.

I never expected to be contacted again for another commercial.

And then another. And another.

Soon, sooner than I ever would have imagined, I was a star. I was popular; at school, on television and magazines, and boy-oh-boy was I  _busy_. I barely had time to do my homework and see my friends with how often I was contracted for shoots and exclusives. My parents were very supportive, of course, as was Yang. As the person who effectively got me my start into television, it was the  _least_  she could do to be helpful and stick by me as my school friends slowly started trickling away as I became busier and busier.

As I did more contracts and learned more, I only seemed to bet better. Ever since I was a girl I had a knack for facial expressions, and it only seemed to bleed into my acting. When the scene called for happy and giddy, I was there. When a more somber, serious approach was necessary, I was on point. When I needed tears, or a quick peel of laughter or a sneer and condescending quip, I never missed a mark.

They called me the Girl with One-Thousand Faces, and it was fitting considering how many expressions I filtered through on a regular basis. Even in my daily life; at home, out with Yang, or in school, I would change my expressions on the fly, just because I could.

Practice, you know?

Even with how busy I was, with school, with different television, movie and magazine contracts, I still had my interests that kept me busy. I liked reading, playing video games, writing small stories on occasion… I had many things to keep me occupied in my infrequent free time. However, it was the theater that drew me most often.

I never really got a chance to participate in theater, unfortunately, what with my early start behind the silver screen. But I had always had a keen interest in stage. Musicals, plays, comedies, dramas… live theater. It was all so artistic in ways that television could never quite reach. Movies and TV was artistic too, don't get me wrong. It was just different. There was just something about the feeling of going to a live show, one that the actors and actresses spent weeks, sometimes months, preparing for, only to perform a handful of times, and then tear it all down and start preparing for the next show.

It was almost hypnotic, how theater worked.

I never really had a preference of what theater I would frequent. Professional plays, university productions, even the local high school shows I would see – as long as I had the time to, of course. Not only that, but I had always been a fan of the international productions, as opposed to the local ones. That's not to say the traditional shows weren't as good as, say, the ones written by Shakespeare or Arthur Miller or Franklin Lacey. They had their own charm that famous writers didn't have. But for some reason I took a liking to the messages, bawdy humor and tones of 'Footloose' much more than something smaller and traditional.

So I would often keep my ear to the ground for any and all plays going on and, if time permitted, I would join the audience for an evening. In disguise, of course.

I was fifteen when I first saw Weiss perform on stage.

I had heard about a local high school production on a classical comedy, 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. It was translated and altered slightly for the local community, but more or less held the original's themes and humor when it was first written by William Shakespeare. I had seen it a year before, of course, when my family took me to see a professional production of the classic, but as I had enjoyed the first time I wanted to see if a group of high school students could do it justice.

I can still remember, to this day, sitting on the left side of the house and watching as Weiss strutted on stage as Hermia, and her indignant expression as both Lysander and Demetrius fall in love with Helena due to her short stature as opposed to Helena's height. It wasn't Weiss' looks, or her costume that drew my eye - her uncommonly snow-white hair notwithstanding. It was how she carried herself. It was how she stood up against the other actress and actresses playing fairies, gods and nymphs. It was how she spoke – her tone and the lilt in her voice as she matched the mood of the play. Her sheer  _focus_  on the words, the dialogue and the banter. With anyone else, I would have scoffed and been reminded of the many actors and actresses that found my particular…  _style_ … of performing off putting.

But with Weiss, and how my entire attention fell on her whenever she exploded on stage, I was simply enchanted. I had never seen anything like it.

After the play ended, it took nearly all of my willpower to keep from approaching the girl as she accepted congratulations and friendly words with the audience in the lobby of the theater. I desperately wanted to introduce myself, and tell her how impressed I was with her; her performance, her interpretation of the character, and how she carried herself on stage. But that would be breaking my number one rule that I set for myself upon attending these shows.

I could never reveal who I really was. Modesty aside, I was popular, and more often than not people easily recognized me on the street. If I were to show myself without a hat or glasses, then I would more than likely upstage the performers who had worked so hard on putting on their show.

So I just settled for watching the girl for a few minutes as she accepted her congratulations with a polite smile, and I left, snatching a program on the way out. After I got home I examined the little two-page pamphlet for the girl playing Hermia.

_Hermia – Weiss Schnee._

I felt my lips curl into a smile as I read the name. It was then that I resolved to do everything I could to find out more about this girl.

Unfortunately, I could find out very little. I knew what school she went to, and that she was sixteen years old and part of the drama club. Aside from that, she was simply a regular sixteen year old girl, and I couldn't really find out anything else. It wasn't as though she was everywhere online or in magazines, like I was. The only thing I knew was that she would likely participate in the next play from that high school. So, if I wanted to see her again, the best way would be to go see the next one.

And, smiling widely, I resolved to do just that.

As luck would have it, Weiss' school's next production was a musical; The Sound of Music. A simple, albeit traditional musical by Rogers and Hammerstein that many countries fielded, most famous for coining the song "Do-Re-Mi". I had actually been a part of a movie adaption a while ago, so I was more than familiar with it and bought my ticket with a happy grin.

Weiss was, slightly surprising, cast as the very same character I had been – Louisa Von Trapp. It was a simple enough roll, and didn't call for much in the way of standing out. But as Weiss took to the stage at the Boatswain's call, dressed in her uniform and her chin held high, I inwardly swooned. As she sang along with Maria Rainer about the sounds that made up Music, I could feel her energy and her determination to be the best Louisa she could be, to live up to all the other Louisas before her, and even better, if possible.

It was even better than her Hermia.

Again, after the show, I waffled around for a while, as if weighing the pros and cons of introducing myself to her. As I watched her audience crowd around her, I felt my shoulders deflate a little. As much as I wanted to speak to the girl that had me so enthralled while on stage, I knew it just wasn't a good idea. So, instead, I simply took another program to add to my slowly growing collection, and went home.

It went on in this fashion for a while. Weiss' high school would take a few months to prepare for a new play or musical, and then I would slip into the audience once opening night came. I would, once again, watch Weiss as she commanded the stage, weaving her own style and flair to each role she took on, all the while complementing her co-actors and actresses perfectly. It was everything I hoped an actress would be, and admired her more and more with each performance I saw.

And each time, I would flounder around the lobby, waiting for the perfect time to shed my glasses and hat, and tell her how I felt about her; her skills, the way she walked, the way she talked, and the way she just  _was_.

After a particularly dramatic rendition of Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible', in which Weiss played an exceedingly vicious Abigail Williams, I stood just on the outskirts of her throng of audience members, watching as she accepted well wishes and congratulations with grace and politeness. I watched as her face shifted from person to person, her lips curling into pleased smiles. I watched as her eyes widened and narrowed as comments were made, and I watched how the skin around her eyes crinkled as she laughed shortly, and her hands worked in front of her as she described parts of the play to the others.

It was then that I realized I had a crush on her.

My eyes widened so much that I'm surprised they didn't fall out of my face. My glasses slid down my nose and off my head, clattering soundlessly on the carpet of the lobby. I could feel things – odd, new things, sliding around in my head as if I'm suddenly understanding things for the first time.

Holy. Shit.

I had a crush… on a girl. I liked Weiss. Like  _that_. Like  _that-that_.

Shaking like a leaf, I bent down to retrieve my glasses and left, barely remembering to grab my program on the way out.

I missed Weiss' next play, four months later.

I graduated early when I was seventeen, and after I finished shooting my most recent movie I received an offer from my agent for a new slew of contracts overseas. It seemed as though agencies abroad caught wind of my films and series' and wanted to use me as well. It should have been exciting, and I would have accepted right away.

If it wasn't for Weiss.

I was being tremendously stupid. I knew that. I was letting my feelings – my  _one-sided_  feelings – for a girl I had never even talked to before keep me from making the most important professional decision of my life. My parents told me whatever I did, they would be behind. They were happy as long as I was. But they didn't know about Weiss.

Yang knew, of course. She knew I had been frequenting every single one of a certain high school's plays every time they were staged, and she could deduce why. She was clever like that, though she would never criticize me for any of my decisions. She did, on the other hand, sympathize with me on my dilemma, however. As I cried on her shoulder about how conflicted and how stupid I was, she simply patted my shoulder, murmuring in my ear in her usual commiserating tone that only Yang did so well.

After a lot of ice cream and bad television – I wasn't starring in anything we watched, naturally – she sat me down and stared long and hard at me. She stared at me until I shifted, uncomfortably, under her steady gaze and finally broke down.

"I know, Yang!" I cried out, my face in my hands as if she couldn't see my cry, it wasn't happening. "I know I'm an idiot, and stupid, and completely overthinking this! I was offered the opportunity of a lifetime, and I'm risking it all by letting my weird feelings take over and I just don't know what to do!"

It there was one thing Yang was, cruel was not it. It shouldn't have surprised me that the was not bothered by my feelings for a girl - she had a steady girlfriend herself, after all. She simply took me in her arms, like she always did, and held me until I finished letting all my worries, my fears and my insecurities known to her. When I finally drew a long, shuddering breath, she released me and quietly handed me a handkerchief.

"Thanks."

"Anytime, Rubes." She said, a sarcastic grin creeping onto her lips. "Though, you can let up a little on the shouting in my ear."

I snorted, mumbling an apology to the older girl, who simply shrugged it off, saying it was one of the many hazards of being my sister.

"I just… don't know what to do." I admitted bleakly, pulling my knees against my chest and squeezing them tightly. Yang hummed aloud from her place beside me on her couch. Her room was large – much larger than mine was, and much better decorated. Whenever we had the time to spend together, we usually opted to invade her room and talk. Not like she really minded, anyway.

"I mean, I want to go abroad." I added fervently. "It's my dream to go to see other countries and act, after all." Yang silently nodded at that, already knowing that this was true. "And it's a great opportunity to expand my career and skills and experience as an actress. I've already graduated school, so it should be a no-brainer, right?"

"Right." Yang agreed softly, though her lilac eyes regarded me carefully, as if sensing I was speaking something much different than I was feeling. In a way, I supposed I was. "So, the problem is this Weiss Schnee."

I sighed heavily, my forehead hitting my knees. "I don't think I can leave Weiss. I know I never even talked to her before… and don't even know what she's really like. All I have ever seen are her characters, and the personas she's taken on for a show… and that isn't enough to say you 'like' or 'love' someone. But…" I sucked in a deep breath, and released it. "But somehow, deep down in my heart, I know it's enough. I know what kind of person she really is. I can see it in her face, in her body and her gait, I can hear it when she talks, and I can see it when she smiles." I choked back a hideous sounding sob. "Fuck, I am so messed up!"

As I sobbed incoherently, I could make out Yang's voice as she whispered softly, comfortingly in my ear about how I was not messed up, how I was lovely and smart, and caring, and any girl or guy would be lucky to have me, and if I was so serious about Weiss to just woman up – her words – and tell her so. Damn the consequences.

"You… you really think I should just tell her?" I sniffled unattractively, much to her horror at my unladylike display.

"I think you should." Yang said resolutely. "If you don't, then you will regret it later. You will go to abroad always wondering what would have happened if you had, and there will always be that lingering question about 'what if?'"

I blinked slowly. It sounded like something from a movie – and trust me, I knew movies – but at the same time, I knew it was likely true. "And if she… says no? What if she wants nothing to do with me?"

Yang shrugged, reaching out to ruffle my hair like she always did. "Then at least you will take the next step of your life without any doubts, Rubes. It may hurt, but at least you will know for certain." She smiled softly. "You'd have done the best you can do."

As I nodded in understanding, I knew that she spoke the truth. I may be confused, and scared, and excited all rolled into one bundle of hormones, but I knew that if I did nothing, I would regret it for years. Maybe even my whole life.

I made sure to attend the next play of Weiss'. I bought a bouquet of flowers to give to her after the end of the show, and settled in to watch her interpretation of Missy, the promiscuous French maid in the relatively recent farce, 'What the Bellhop Saw'.

Weiss did not disappoint. She donned the persona of the nubile, celebrity-mad maid like a second skin and flitted around the play with her feather duster and maid costume, lilting her accent as to fall deeper into her role as if she were born into it. It was exciting, enthralling, and I couldn't keep my eyes off of her the entire one hour and twenty minutes.

By the time the play ended, my stomach had evolved into a roiling mass of discomfort, and it was all I could do to stand and wait my turn as everyone gathered around Weiss to talk to her. As she mingled I watched her, standing there still in her maid's outfit, a charming smile on her face as she talked.

It was then, as she smiled brightly and talked with her co-actors and well-wishers, that I was struck with what I was actually planning on doing.

Here I was, a veritable stranger with flowers, planning on approaching this girl out of the blue, and essentially confessing her attraction to her. If I were her, how would I interpret that?

Well, considering that fact that it  _had_  happened to me more than once… not very well. In fact, it must happen to me at least once per public event. Honestly, I had gotten pretty sick of it, but still made sure to politely decline each and every one. And I was about to accost Weiss the same exact way I had been, all because I felt pressured before deciding to go abroad.

I couldn't do that to her. I was better than that, and I respected her more than that.

Taking a slow, steady breath, I stepped away from the throng of people surrounding her and made my way to the usher's office. I dropped off the flowers for them to leave in her dressing room, simply saying that they were from 'a big fan', and left, making sure to grab a program on the way out.

I left the country shortly after that. I knew that if I lingered, waffling as I normally did in this case, I would have changed my mind and crawled helter-skelter back to Weiss and declare that I was head over heels for the girl. But I was old enough to know I was being stupid, insane even, and signed the contract to go abroad as soon as possible.

The next few years flew by. I did movies, television shows and interviews. I met famous actors and actresses at least twice my age, with three times my experience, and learned more than I ever would have had I stayed home. I traveled all over the world. I learned so much about myself, and how to be a better actress.

I soon gained a reputation of being someone that 'never follows the script'. Back home it had been easy – everyone just followed my lead and let me have my way. Internationally, people like me were labeled as 'rebels' and 'difficult to work with'. But, as my skills grew, I would find ways around that. My fellow actors and actresses, directors and crew, would work  _with_  me instead of caving to my whims, and I picked up on their ques with practice, and was able to incorporate my talent for improvisation into the script.

I dated, too. After the initial shock of having a crush on Weiss Schnee wore off and I realized that I preferred women to men, everything seemed to just fall into place. Finding women like me was simpler than I had thought at first, if you knew where to look and the questions to ask. It was nice that people like me were more common abroad than back home, but it still took me a while to gain the courage to approach girls. I was famous, and for some reason being gay just wasn't really expected of me. It was a hard pill to swallow at first, but I eventually I learned how to be subtle with balancing my relationships and my public persona.

By my fourth girlfriend, I realized that each of them had at least one thing in common with Weiss Schnee. Either her eyes, with how they would narrow or crinkle as she laughed. Or how she walked into a room and held herself in the face of people around her. Or how she talked, how she would change her voice to match a certain mood or humor. It was as though my heart wouldn't let me forget about the girl I never had a chance with and was forcing me to find her again, even the small, seemingly inconsequential parts of her that I was attracted to, in the other women in my life.

By the time I realized I was seeing girls because they reminded me of Weiss, I broke it off with my last girlfriend and withdrew from the dating scene completely, concentrating fully on my work.

By the time I was twenty-two I had made an almost permanent name for myself in the international film scene and was taking the cinema world by storm. At least, that's what the magazines said. It was a little weird, at times, to read about yourself that way, as if you were a different person and all these people were talking about how great you were. Or how sexy you looked in a bikini. Or how amazing she must be to be around. Or how she never has been seen with a guy – or girl – at public events and what must be wrong with her and how she is a bitch or a dyke…

Sometimes, all you needed to do was read the tabloids and get a good dose of humility to bring yourself from out of the clouds. Even if they were partially true.

Eventually, I began to miss home and I asked my agent about the possibility to return for a time – maybe do some smaller, local contracts and relax a little. After some cajoling and bribery, I was allowed to, provided I worked with a few more well-known directors and writers on their projects.

The first thing I did upon landing going home was call up Yang for some good food. There was nothing quite like sharing a meal with your sister – even if she was married now. We laughed, we reminisced, and we were still best friends.

And, perhaps most importantly, she put me into contact with a good director she knew 'for old times' sake'.

The director, Stephen Fenton, was putting together a new television sitcom of a famous comedic play by Neil Simon. I had seen 'The Odd Couple' a few times, when I had worked through the discomfort of going to see a live production even knowing that Weiss would not be in it, and had enjoyed the play. I agreed to be cast in the show, not really caring that my reputation 'may suffer' by doing such a small contract.

Yang had gone through the trouble, after all, and I wasn't going to put her out by passing up her offer.

The day of auditioning for my counterpart, Florence, arrived and I was nervous. I knew the part of Olivia, of course. As the female version of Oscar, it was easy enough to be slovenly, lazy and rude. It was my co-star of the show that would inherently put me on edge.

This would be the girl to match me in all things on the show. To dialogue with me, and to become friends with me, despite being complete opposites. We would live together, and eat together, and play together. We would hate each other at times, yes, but we would always come back to each other in the end, as friends always did.

It wasn't real. It was an act. I had spent almost half of my life acting… so why would something like this bother me? But as the hopeful girls shuffled in, ready their lines, and left, I just couldn't figure it out. Why did this bother me so much?

As I huffed silently and crossed my arms, Stephen signaled for the next girl to enter. The door opened behind me and I waited. As her shadow passed through my peripheral I turned my head to focus on her and and—

I blinked.

It was Weiss. Weiss Schnee.

There was no mistake. She was older, of course, as I was. But she still had the same blue eyes, the same lean face and way she walked. And her hair was still as white as fresh snow, as I remembered. She was visibly nervous, as opposed to how she projected herself on stage, but that was expected from time to time. I could still see the girl behind her anxious posture; her apprehensive visage. I could still make out the girl I realized I liked, even before I know I liked girls. I could still see her, and knew she was even prettier than years before.

She was gorgeous. Simply gorgeous.

I managed a small grin through my suddenly wild and thumping heart and was rewarded with an equally shy smile in response. Somewhere, deep inside me, I felt my stomach roil and shift in the realization that this smile, this wonderful  _perfect_  smile… was for me, and me alone.

"Um…" She finally murmured, standing there with her back ramrod straight. "I am number two-oh-nine, Weiss Schnee." She curtsied prettily and held it for a few seconds. When she straightened again, she was staring at me, and I smiled at her mainly to reassure her… and myself.

She fumbled a bit at the beginning, likely due to being nervous, but after the initial setback, she began to recite from the script.

As she read her lines, the nervous shadow that lingered around her shoulders disappeared, and the actress I remembered came out. Her shoulders straightened as her arms relaxed. Her legs loosened from her lock-kneed stance. And her face, which had been so tight I was afraid her expression would never change, loosened as she  _became_  Florence. I felt my breath catch in my throat as I remembered each and every role I saw her play, from Hermia all the way to Missy, and I knew from the moment – maybe even from my first time ever seeing her step onto a stage – that I wanted her to by my side.

In acting… in life… I didn't care which.

The moment she left the room, bowing her head respectfully low, and a final shy smile to me, I waiting until the door closed and turned to Stephen just as he was about to call out for the next actress.

"I want her."

The man blinked. Twice. "Um… what?"

"I want Weiss Schnee on the show with me." I said decidedly. I had made up my mind on this, and I would move Heaven and Earth to get my way.

Stephen blinked again, looking past me to gauge the reaction from the writer, who simply shrugged. "You're sure?" He finally asked me a few moments later.

"Absolutely."

He heaved a great sigh, but knew me well enough to know when he had pretty much been Ruby-steamrolled. "I'll make the call, then."

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**End of Part 6 / Epilogue**

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